The 2014 FIFA World Cup began yesterday with host nation and tournament favourites Brazil somewhat struggling to a 3-1 opening match victory against Croatia, but if you are a football fan who missed out on the Opening Ceremony and this match, then you can catch up with the remaining 63 fixtures in the tournament.

Most Countries will be broadcasting and streaming the games for free,so if you are a traditional TV watcher, use a combo of streaming and broadcast, or have totally cut the cord then this page should hopefully remove any excuses for missing out on the games.

In terms of viewing in general, especially in a much more online and connected world than even the 2010 event, it will not be difficult for anyone with an internet connection to watch the tournament through live streaming wherever they are in the world, through ‘fair’ means or foul, provided you are willing to take the cost/security risk that could be found in some of the respective website genres.

In terms of TV rights (and by extension, some of the official streaming providers), it would also be hard-pressed for anyone to not have their territory covered in some official form should they have a working TV or Radio signal. In the case of the host nation, matches and highlights will be viewable through a number of rights holders, with Rede Globo, Rede Bandeirantes, ESPN Brasil, Fox Sports, and SporTV all officially covering the tournament in Brazil, with radio coverage coming through a large number of stations regionally and nationally led by Radio Globo, amongst others.

For the country that invented the sport that the Brazilians then perfected, as the saying goes (“Os ingleses o inventaram, os brasileiros o aperfeiçoaram”), viewers in England, and the UK as a whole [including non-qualifying countries, and territories not part of FIFA] will be able to follow matches on TV via the public service broadcaster BBC and leading commercial network ITV, who recently signed an extension of their shared agreement (around half of the matches each and sharing the Final) through to the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

In reigning world champion nation Spain, viewers can tune in via Mediaset Espana and Gol Television. People living in their first Group B opponents today (and 2010’s 2nd-place team), the Netherlands [Holland] will be able to watch their long-awaited rematch, and all other fixtures, through NOS. 2010’s Bronze Medalists Germany, meanwhile, will have the tournament covered on ARD and ZDF.

The USA, long dubbed as one of the final frontiers that the sport still needs to break into as a nation’s most popular, will carry coverage to itself and associated territories through ABC (in their last tournament before Fox take over free-to-air rights), sports broadcasting giants ESPN, and Spanish-language broadcasters Univision. Other primarily English-speaking nations that have qualified for the 32-team tournament include Australia (SBS); Ghana (GBC, Metro TV); and Nigeria (BON, Optima SMI).

And viewers in the sole nation making its debut appearance, Bosnia-Herzegovina, will be able to do so through BHRT. For all 11 other countries who have their national football team taking part in this event over the next month, their official broadcasters can be seen below:

As for major broadcasting nations which did not qualify, China will primarily see matches through CCTV, India [as part of a ‘South Asia’ rights deal] via MSM Satellite and Seven3, Indonesia with ANTV and tvOne, and Canada through CBC, Sportsnet, TVA, EastLink TV, TLN, Mediaset Italia Canada, and Univision Canada. For nations and territories not affiliated to FIFA, the charge is led by Greenland (KNR and DR (the latter also present in Denmark and the Faroe Islands)); and Kosovo (RTK, Digit-Alb).

Whilst almost the entire continent of Oceania (barring the French territories and New Zealand (who are covered by TVNZ and Sky Sport)) will be able to watch by Click Pacific. The remainder, because it would take too long to list everywhere else in the world and what they are doing, the more complete and legible list of broadcasters around the world can be seen here. In the biggest broadcasting effort in the tournament’s long 21-edition history, there can be few excuses for not keeping up in one way or another…

As a final alternative, you could just have a strong enough signal to be able to catch the official highlights at a convenient hour for free via a broadcaster or through FIFA’s official means (including their official tournament website and on YouTube). Though with the result fully on display on the same page for those wishing to just find out the result, the experience is… almost like watching it live?